The concept of the "Victrola" (the horn
mounted internally to the machine) was developed by Victor, and first put into
production in the summer of 1906 with a model designation of "VTLA". Having the
horn mounted inside the cabinet eliminated the massive and fragile external
horn, which tended to be knocked-off and required a lot of space on top of a
table. At the time of introduction, it was felt that the $200.00 price tag of
the VTLA would make it unaffordable (it equates to over $5,000.00 in today's
money!), and since Victor didn't have the capacity to build a large
floor-standing cabinet in their plant, they contracted the cabinet building to
the Pooley Furniture Company of Philadelphia to build several hundred as a
marketing experiment. Once complete, the cabinets were shipped back to Victor,
where the motor and reproduction mechanics from the Victor VI model were then
installed, and a small quantity were built to see how the market responded. By
Christmas of 1906, Victor knew that the Victrola was a roaring success, having
sold every one that Pooley could produce and then some. Obviously, wealthy
buyers loved the internal horn concept. The drawback to the first Pooley style
was the flat lid and deeply recessed turntable, which required the user to
"reach way down" to access the tonearm and records. A year later, Victor had
tooled-up their plant to produce the large cabinets, and they modified the
design by using a domed lid, which allowed the turntable to be placed higher in
the cabinet, with much easier access. The machines continued to sell well, but
the clientele was limited to those who could afford such an expensive luxury.
The VTLA model was the only Victrola machine produced until the small tabletop
VV-XII was introduced in June, 1909. 506 VTLA's were made in 1906, 3,559
in 1907 and 4,317 in 1908. It was a relatively small market in those years,
which would quickly turn into a massive demand by the mid-teens once the selling
prices dropped to more affordable levels.

In July 1909, the "VTLA" designation
on the data plate was transitioned to "VV-XVI" (Victrola the Sixteenth),
probably to avoid confusion with the new VV-XII, and by August, the carved
'filigree' design around the lid was eliminated, most likely to reduce
production costs. In December, 1909, the cabinet size was expanded and made
more ornamental, and most vestiges of the original "VTLA" model has
disappeared for good, as the VV-XVI became the flagship model for the entire
product lineup.

This early VTLA is of the early Victor design, including the carved filigree, smaller "L-door"
cabinet and early-style Victor VI motor. It came out of central Indiana, and is mind-numbingly original.
It has a well-figured veneer, with strong
contrasts. All we did was deep-clean the finish, polish it and go through the
mechanics. There is some crazing on the finish, as would be expected for a
106 year old piece of furniture, but the finish still has plenty of shine
and has survived remarkably well. Even the top of the lid is scratch and
ding free, with the exception of a very small old repair (most likely due to
a chip of the veneer) on the side of the lid. We did not attempt to redo
this chip, as it is far preferable to just leave it alone rather than risk
damage to the original finish. This would be a great centerpiece of any collection, as these are
very rarely found, especially in an untouched original condition. Many
that we come across have damage, especially to the fragile filigree area
under the lid. Try to find another early-vintage VTLA like this, in
absolute original condition! Even the turntable felt is original (but we did
replace two missing felt lid pads, so as to protect the lid lip). It was the
4,174th Victrola ever produced,
which is saying something when you consider that well over 7,000,000
Victrolas were made by 1929.

You can find
more on the VTLA and XVI by clicking here. This is a rare
opportunity to purchase a very early VTLA, which has obviously been well
cared for over its entire life. We also have the complete, correct set of
VTLA record albums to go with this machine, at extra cost, if the buyer is
interested.